Humanist (n) – one who supports equality for all humanity no matter how anybody else feels about it

January 22, 2016

The Thing About the IChing

The thing about the IChing is that the cycle takes so long sometimes to complete.

So what is this thing called the IChing?

It’s an ancient system for understanding the path of change that most things in the universe follow. It could be applied to friendships, a company, a day spent with your child, and even to the course of a nation’s history.

Sometimes the cycle is short, as in one day, and other times it could take centuries before a certain part of the cycle happens again.

So why is that a problem?

Because a human life is short, on average about 75 to 85 years for those who live a full life without meeting an early end. From such a small snapshot of time, ALL things seem “new.” Until you step back and get a broader view of history, and what you see is:

WE, HUMANITY, have faced what we face today, in some form or fashion in the past. Therefore, ALL things are able to be overcome, and like any “storm,” they will pass.

Are we helpless in the face of this cycle? No not at all.

The different parts of the cycle are not temporally fixed. In other words, the parts can last very different amounts of time, so if the people involved take certain actions (wisely by looking at history), a challenging time can be overcome rather quickly.

What’s the solution?

Consider the history. If it’s a day with a child, then it’s simple. You just think back to other experiences with A child, or THAT child you’re with today. If the kid is acting up, what did you do in the past to resolve it?

If it’s a larger concern, such as community-wide or nation-wide, then you have to look further back in time. You may also have to look at the history of other nations or communities that have faced similar situations, in case there is no record of it in your location.

What did they do? What were the results? Were they favorable? If yes, follow the example. If no, why not? How can we do it differently, and therefore, better.

For more information on what the phases of the IChing are, simply do a Google search for the following: I Ching Hexagrams